The mass mortality events are very economically and ecologically damaging. Economic damage occurs acutely in the short-term due to the need to close the fishery during events and damage also occurs in the longer term owing to the removal of large numbers of fish during the event.

No model exists of the spatial propogation of a viral epidemic in an exploited fish population, we will derive such a model. This model will be aimed less at predicting the spread of a particular mass mortality event and more at the understanding of the dynamics of the event. Using the model we will be able to assess hypothesises concerning the factors which control the mass mortality and hence focus future study on the most sensitive processes. The model will also show the conditions under which these events may recur. We will also be able to assess the potential for management intervation to halt an ongoing epidemic or prevent further outbreaks. The model will also integrate all the aspects of the spread of the mass mortality events, showing linkages within the existing data and showing those areas for which adaquate data is lacking.

It should also be noted that damaging epidemics among wild caught and farmed marine fisheries are not infrequent and that modified versions of the model may have future applications to other fisheries.